Obama: I’ll Make Cyber Security the Top Priority

Last updated on August 11th, 2014 at 12:04 am

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Talk about a contrast. A day after John McCain said that he is learning how to use a computer, Barack Obama was on the campus of Purdue University today saying that he would make cyber security the top priority that it should be in the 21st Century.

“As President, I’ll make cyber security the top priority that it should be in the 21st century. I’ll declare our cyber-infrastructure a strategic asset, and appoint a National Cyber Advisor who will report directly to me. We’ll coordinate efforts across the federal government, implement a truly national cyber-security policy, and tighten standards to secure information – from the networks that power the federal government, to the networks that you use in your personal lives,” Obama said.

He talked about cyber security as a part of our national security, “We need to prevent terrorists or spies from hacking into our national security networks. We need to build the capacity to identify, isolate, and respond to any cyber-attack. And we need to develop new standards for the cyber security that protects our most important infrastructure – from electrical grids to sewage systems; from air traffic control to our markets.”

My first thought is that Obama must have seen Live Free or Die Hard, because what he was talking about is the plot of the movie. I don’t know much about cyber security, except that organized cyber attacks against governments are growing, and that the United States is behind the curve on cyber security.

This is one of those issues that paint the contrast between Obama and McCain in the most dramatic light. Do we really want a 72 year old man who can’t use a computer making decisions about how we will protect and secure information networks that he doesn’t even understand? Obama may not be perfect, but at least he is up with the times. Most likely if McCain were to win the election, he would ignore this issue, and that is a risk I don’t think that we can afford to take.

Read the full text of Obama’s Remarks

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association